STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR TRINITY IN 2015 continued

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1 Growing as Disciples of Jesus Christ July 2015 Through Worship, Learning, Fellowship and Outreach The Messenger OF TRINITY ANGLICAN CHURCH STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR TRINITY IN 2015 continued Last month, I discussed strategic goals for 2015 in two areas of our mission statement: Worship and Outreach. Strategic plans are built on prayerful discernment of what God is doing and how He is calling us to participate in that work. We don t force God to do anything or manufacture the outcomes we want, but we humbly seek to keep in step with what God is doing. This month, we will look at the prayerful goals for 2015 in the other two areas of our mission statement, Fellowship and Learning. Our long-term goal in Fellowship is to foster a deep and loving community where the Great Commandment to love one another as Christ loves us is lived out in a way that leads to unity and to showing the world that Jesus has been sent by the Father to rescue the world (John 13:34, 17:23). Fellowship occurs on three basic levels: intimate/personal, intermediate groups, and the all-parish level. Correspondingly, we have a vision for regular all-parish gatherings that offer mutual encouragement, celebration, and unified mission, and we envision intermediate level fellowship as all members are active in ministry groups. Our primary tool for fostering intimate fellowship is small groups, and our goal is to have 75% of our average adult Sunday attendance involved in small group fellowship. We continue to envision small groups being active in Seasonal Sermon -based Study Series where small groups go deeper into sermon topics for 6-10 week teaching series which will be offered during the seasons of Late Pentecost (Fall), Epiphany (Winter) and Easter (Spring). Deep fellowship cannot be forced, so we want people to try groups until they find one with which they bond and stay with that group until the Lord leads them in a new direction. Some of our 2015 Fellowship Goals are: 50% adult average Sunday attendance involved in small group. This would equate to approximately 95 adults involved. This goal was already met in the Easter teaching series. Offer three all-parish gatherings that will appeal to all ages. The Spring event will be the annual BBQ on Trinity Sunday. An earlier, the Guest Who Dinners, was aimed to be one of these events. A Fall Harvest is being planned. Relaunch a Caring Ministry that can offer food to members who are in need (eg. Surgery, birth of child, etc.), transportation to shut-ins who would otherwise be able to attend church, and support during a time of loss (eg. Funeral receptions, food, etc.). Standardize process for New Member Incorporation. Update written materials for Newcomers Packets and design a process to facilitate movement from visitor to member. This goal has already been met. Our long-term goals in Learning are to bring people of all ages to learn, to obey everything [Jesus] has commanded (Matthew 28:20). Teaching people to obey is a process of training that includes both information and formation. Our vision is to cultivate a robust training for children and youth where they know the content of God s Great Story, the essential content of the faith, and how to live for Jesus in the particularities of their lives. Building upon that foundation, we seek to form adult disciples of Jesus who not only know this for themselves, but can help form other disciples to follow Jesus in their homes, workplaces, and every other sphere of life. Our primary tools for learning are Season Sermon Series, Sunday School for children, Youth Group for teens, and in-depth classes for those who are ready to go deeper in study. Here are some of our 2015 goals for Learning: -1-1 Continued on the next page

2 ...continued from the front page Continuous improvement and recruiting for Sunday School. We need to maintain a roster of at least 16 teachers. Men s and Women s Ministry Event by the end of the year. Currently a Men s Camping Trip is scheduled for the end of August. Family Ministry Event by the end of the year. We believe it is important to gather families with children together for fellowship, mutual encouragement, and sharing. Offer or participate in a marriage enrichment or couples event. Offer or coordinate participation in Financial Peace University by July Studies increasingly show that the primary cause of divorce and stress is attributed to financial strain and debt. In order to help people live in greater freedom, joy, and peace, this critical area of life needs to be addressed with practical help. These are some of the goals for this year in the areas of Fellowship and Learning. As with all objectives, it will involve many of us to accomplish them. I want to encourage you to pray for those involved in leading in these areas of growth, and to pray about what part God is calling you to play as we, together, grow as disciples of Jesus Christ through Worship, Learning, Fellowship, and Outreach. Blessings, Fr. Karl+ Trinity Family Ministry Growing Together in Christ Sunday School is on the Campus of St. John s Pre-K - 8th Grades will meet in the Sanctuary and then process to class at the Gloria hymn Youth Group - Summer Events TBA Men s Camping Trip August 28th-30th Moderate hiking; good fishing; great fellowship No gear? No problem. Cost: $40 Interested? Contact Fr. Karl or Fr. Joe by July 31st The Open Harbor (Part 3) In the past few months of Messenger articles I have been looking at what it might mean for us to practice evangelism or reaching forth our hands in love not just as individuals but as families. I suggested, first, that we think of our families as open harbors. They are a safe place for our children to grow and flourish securely. But our families can also open up to the world to share something of the love of Christ to those who need it. I suggested, second, that families and not just individuals may have styles of evangelism as well. This month I would like to explore briefly what a relational or friendship style of evangelism might look like for a family. The first chapter of the Gospel of John provides a powerful image of what relational evangelism might look like. When God reached into our lost and fallen world through his Son Jesus (the Word ), he didn t keep his distance, as it were. Instead, he formed a deep, lasting relationship or bond. John writes, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). The Word, the Son of God himself, became one of us, took on our flesh and blood in order to restore us to God through relationship. This is covenant language a deep, abiding bond; God dwelling with us. Relational evangelism, too, relies heavily on these kinds of deep bonds or covenantal relationships with others. The question for us as families is this: what relationships do our families have in which we can offer the light of Christ? Most of us have numerous relationships like this through our kids school or sports, through work, etc. As Christians we are called to live life (in Biblical terminology, to dwell ) with others, through good times and bad, simply being friends. If we are intentional and attentive, we will find that opportunities to share the light of Jesus will arise naturally in the course of sharing life together. What we are called to do is not to proselytize in some kind of obnoxious or utilitarian way. Rather we are called to actually be friends. According to St. Augustine, the defining character of friendship is willing the good for another person. A relationship with God through his Son Jesus is the highest good. Therefore, Augustine points out, if we didn t share the light of Christ with our friends, we would be withholding the highest good and consequently not be the best of friends. My prayer, then, for all of us is that we can be the best of friends to those in our lives. Blessings, Fr. Joe -2-2

3 In The Parish Family JULY BIRTHDAYS Matthew Dietze Peter Leigh-Pink Kathleen Schoen Gay Monroe Tara Michaels Congratulations to: Brian & Missy Gatza on the birth of Elijah Peter, who was born on May 30th. Proud grandparents are Mike & Benita Chase. In Sympathy to Jo Ellen Holt on the recent death of her husband, Jim, who died on June 1st. Regina Pryor and her family on the sudden death of her brother, Richard. Thank you... to all those who helped make our BBQ a wonderful success. A special thank you to Darcie Larman, who headed up the whole event. to everyone who took part in the Ground Blessing service. There were many, many helping hands, and it was such a beautiful experience. NEW TREASURER Meg Pryor Regina Pryor Ken Knight Liz Kinney Mary Jones Dcn. John LaMar Vicki Moore Harley Pinson Amanda Douglas Dennis Mullins Dave Schieber Claudia Moore Larry Ray Alex Knight Charlie Knight Racine Weringer Samantha Lawrence Dreda Pitchford Barbara Nelson Perrin Swanlund Paul Pruett Alexandra Poon Janet Poteete Mary Carpenter Eliza Gauthier-Parker Ray Watson Don Clark Olga See Susan DeNatale Paul Steward Patty Bass Zoe Bogie Jennifer Faulk Donna Adams We welcome member, Ed Taylor as our new treasurer at Trinity. We thank him for taking on this very important task and we are thrilled to have him working with us in this capacity. If we have omitted your birthday, please call the office ( ), and give Tara the date. A big thank you to John Cronen, who has given his dedication and endless time of service as our past treasurer. TRINITY STATS Attendance June 7th 222 June 21st 190 June 14th 201 Giving Year-to-Date May Actual Budget Actual Budget Income $61,652 $47,691 $258,865 $238,455 Expense $46,732 $46,783 $220,463 $233,915 3 Total Pledged: $2,694,606 Total Collected (5/31/15): $777, Our architect, Klassen Corporation, is developing Construction Documents which will be ready to submit to the city by August. We have prepared a Conditional Use Permit to submit to the city so that we can operate a church preschool when the project is complete.

4 Annual Parish BBQ Confirmation Ground Blessing 4

5 Trinity Anglican Church 5100 California Avenue Suite 108 Bakersfield CA July 2015 WORSHIP SERVICES Sunday Morning at St. John s Lutheran Church 8 a.m. Holy Communion (1928 Prayer Book) 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion (Rite II) Thursday Morning 10 a.m. Healing Service 5100 California Avenue Suite 108 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mike Young Kevin Ray John Cronen Anne Giles Marilyn Brown Ron Christolear Lynne Hall Guy Lingo Steve McCalley Jeff Mendoza Chad Savage Olga See Mark Smith Sr. Warden Jr. Warden Treasurer Clerk 5100 California Avenue #108 Bakersfield CA Office Fax office@trinitybakersfield.com OUR CLERGY The Rev. Karl E. Dietze, Rector The Rev. Joseph Lawrence, Assistant The Rev. John M. Wilcox, Retired The Rev. John LaMar, Deacon OUR STAFF Sue Wagner, Director of Music Tara Michaels, Office Manager Kendi Miller, Bookkeeper The Messenger 5